HUDSONVILLE, MI -- As thunder rumbled in the background, the Kalamazoo Hackett boys track and field team soaked in the moment.

Due to three separate inclement weather delays during Saturday's Division 4 track and field state finals at Baldwin Street Middle School in Hudsonville, the final awards ceremony was held in the middle school gym.

That didn't lessen the celebration for the defending state champions, as they embraced the trophy they had worked so hard to win back.

The Irish scored 64 points to best runner-up Breckenridge by 21 points and third-place Hillsdale Academy by 29 points.

"Today, we just really showed our mental toughness," said Kalamazoo Hackett head coach Simon Cholometes. "For the guys to put forth that kind of performance under these conditions was impressive. We went through several delays and still stayed focused."

With only nine performers on their regular roster, it took everyone in the Hackett lineup to make the back-to-back state championship a reality.

"Quality over quantity," Cholometes said with a smile. "We knew it was going to take everyone performing well in order to pull this off and we did it. Heath Baldwin was incredible today. Anytime you win three events at the state meet, it's special.

"Then, we got strong performances from Gus Magnell and Jacob Wells and our sprint relays really carried us home after that. It was a special effort from those guys and they should be very proud of their accomplishments."

The Fowler girls track team celebrates winning first place during the MHSAA Track & Field Division 4 Championships at Baldwin Street Middle School in Hudsonville, Michigan on Saturday, June 1, 2019.

FOWLER DYNASTY CONTINUES

The Fowler girls track and field team also defended their team state championship from last spring, scoring 71 points to edge Pittsford (63 points) and third-place Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (56 points).

It was the third state championship in four years for the Eagles and their fifth in nine seasons.

"It says a lot about our program that we've continued to put together such strong performances on the biggest stage," said Fowler head coach Jill Feldpausch. "We always do well in relays and we scored really well in the relays today. We had individuals step up for us that lifted the rest of the team up and allowed us to be in a position to win another state championship."

Feldpausch wasn't worried about her team's mental state after several hours of rain delays. She knew her squad had come too far to fall short during the home stretch.

"I'd like to think that the weather didn't affect that much," she said. "We had to get out of own heads about it. Everyone had to perform under the same conditions, so we just had to do better than the other teams out there and not worry if our times weren't where we wanted them.

"This was what we've been working for all season. I just told the girls that they couldn't let the weather get to them or get psyched out by the other teams they go up against. We just had do our jobs and put our best efforts out there."